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Deborah Wiles

Biography

Deborah Wiles

Deborah Wiles is the author of the picture book FREEDOM SUMMER and three novels: LOVE, RUBY LAVENDAR; THE AURORA COUNTY ALL-STARS; and EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS, a National Book Award finalist. Her father was an air force pilot, and her family was stationed in Washington, D.C., during the 1960s. She has vivid memories of ducking and covering under her school desk during air raid drills at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. She also sang in the Glee Club, was a champion speller, and hated Field Day.

Deborah Wiles

Books by Deborah Wiles

It's 1964, and Sunny's town is being invaded. Or at least that's what the adults of Greenwood, Mississippi are saying. All Sunny knows is that people from up north are coming to help people register to vote. Meanwhile, Sunny can't help but feel like her house is being invaded, too. However, things get even trickier when Sunny and her brother are caught sneaking into the local swimming pool -- where they bump into a mystery boy whose life is going to become tangled up in theirs.

It's 1962, and it seems everyone is living in fear. Twelve-year-old Franny Chapman lives with her family in Washington, DC, during the days surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. Amidst the pervasive threat of nuclear war, Franny must face the tension between herself and her younger brother, figure out where she fits in with her family, and look beyond outward appearances.